Computer Articles

Computers have become the part and parcel of every business unit, and as these are sensitive gadgets that often need repair, upgradation, and periodic maintenance. Your business is no exception for sure but do you know how you can find the best computer maintenance and repair support? If you are not fully aware of it, know the essential details of repair and maintenance before you hire a service and verify the needs with your available resources.

Check if service provider is endorsed by manufacturers’ certification

Some computer repairs facilities enjoys their manufacturers’ endorsement as preferred service providers. Check if the service provider you have selected is an authorized and preferred counter for computer repairs. Also check if the technicians working there have done their course on computer repairing. As computers are getting complex every day, only trained technicians can manage repairing job with professional proficiency. Specifically you should ask if the repair facility is equipped enough to offer servicing for the brand of computer you are working with. For example, if you are using Dell, check if the technicians are Dell certified.

Faster turnaround time

When you need repairing service support, it is obvious that you want to get the job done fast. You need to clarify with the repair facility if they can get their job done in short turnaround time. Before speaking to your shortlisted vendor, you also need to check at random with other repair shops about the average repair time and accordingly evaluate if your vendor is offering the right turnaround time. Alternatively, ask your service provider if they are capable to offer you one-day repair service.

On site repairing support

Although computer and laptops are portable, but it always wise to call an onsite support service because it saves time and you need not to take away your system out of your premise. Ask your repair service provider if they can offer you on site service: it will be a better option for you.

Service warranty is a must thing

Before you find and finalize your computer repair service provider, check if they offer you service warranty. Unless service warranty is offered, there is high chance that service quality of your vendor can be compromised. Additionally check if the company offers replace guarantee of spare parts if anything they damage during repair work. According to market standard, repair facilities offer 6-12 months warranty; without service warranty long term cost efficiency of your computer maintenance may not stand profit yielding.

Service charge should be affordable

Service charge and its affordability is one of the vital factors for selecting a vendor for computer repairs and maintenance. Check the service charge for the repair jobs proposed by your vendor. Unless it is moderate and justified, in the long run, it might get difficult for you to use a costly service. Also check if the service provider is available 24×7 because you do not know when you may need the support.

These are the essential facts you need to know about computer maintenance and repairs because a service provider with all these facilities can only be the best option for your business use.

In the present technology-driven society, laptop or notebook has been a part and parcel of our daily life. We do a lot of activities on it to make our life more comfortable and hospitable. Starting from train timetable checking to ticket booking till buying goods online, we use a laptop or notebook.

Being handy and lightweight, we carry it with us to execute many simple to complex tasks easily with the aid of it. This is why when our laptops face issues like overheating, malfunctioning and shutting down suddenly, we cannot concentrate on any work until we get it fixed or repaired. It becomes our headache.

How laptop service centers help us

To help us get rid of these issues, many laptop service centers have come to the scene. A significant number of these service centers are called dedicated service centers. A dedicated service center is a company authorized service center. It offers multiple services for a particular brand. A dedicated laptop service center never works for the other brands. Sometimes, it is directly controlled by a company. Besides, the company can hire a contractor or a third-party vendor to offer uninterrupted services on behalf of it. The contractor solves various issues faced by the users of a particular brand. In many cases, it never takes money from a customer- if the issues come within the warranty periods. In that case, the tech support professionals take the signature of a customer and deliver the product.

Offsite and on-site services

As the consequence of it, we get to see many dedicated laptop service centers belonging to various reputable companies like Dell, Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Samsung, Toshiba, Compaq, HCL, etc. If your laptop or notebook does not work properly or you need to solve an overheating issue, you should visit a dedicated service center. Based on the manufacturing company, you just need to find one located very close to your home. If you have faced the issue within the warranty period, you do not need to pay for it. Besides, in order to enjoy all benefits- you need to check the facilities ensured by the company at the time of purchasing the notebook.

There are many notebook manufacturing companies offering on-site services. It means a company representative will come to your place in order to fix the issue at free of cost (within the warranty period only). You just need to bring the matter to their attention. To receive service at your place, you need to call them at their toll-free number or drop a mail. You will receive a call on behalf of a service center representative or directly from the company to confirm the email receipt and understand your problem better.

During the time of conversation over the telephone, the customer support executive will ask your product number and model number. After that, they will forward your matter to the concerned department. Once your matter is processed, you will receive a call or an SMS. This call or SMS will let you know the expected time and the name of the person coming to fix the issues. The company representative will ask you to show the bill. After checking and verifying it with your given information, he will start the work.

The technology of today is incredibly impressive. Nowadays, we can retrieve any information we want and can communicate with anyone in any part of the world with a few taps or clicks of the mouse. And all this is possible with a device that can fit in your pocket. Below are 5 technological advancements that will dominate the future. Read on to find out more.

1. IoT

You may have heard about the Internet-of-Things or IoT. This technology makes it possible to have connected homes. But why is it that we don’t see connected homes in the here and now? Well, the basic problem is that there is a lot of competition, but not enough collaboration. In other words, you can find a lot of apps and appliances on the market, but very few solutions to connect these things together for seamless user experience. Hopefully, we will witness big advancements in the near future.

2. VR and AR

As far as VR and AR are concerned, you have already seen some great steps. After the release of Oculus Rift, tons of VR games and apps were launched. One big game is Pokemon Go, which is a big name on the list of VR games. It was downloaded for more than 100 million times. As a matter of fact, the market is all set for the VR and AR stuff. Hopefully, things will take off in the next few years.

3. Machine Learning

Machine learning has also become advanced. As a matter of fact, it has helped enhance the search engine algorithm of Google. But only a few apps have taken advantage of this technology. However, the technology is expected to spread across the board and it will dominate all consumer applications. For instance, it will offer better products in the search results so you can find the right one.

4. Automation

Today, marketers will be happy to know that the automation will make it easier for them to improve their production processes. Now, the automation will allow them to get those tasks done that were only done by humans previously. In the next few years, robots will get advanced and they will perform complex tasks.

Automation will make some jobs disappear while creating new ones. When machine learning is combined with automation, you will see things getting better before long.

5. Big Data

For the past couple of years, big data has been a topic of debate. The idea is that the huge amount of data that we can use today can help you plan more powerful marketing campaigns and medical treatments. But the biggest strength of the big data is that it’s also a big weakness.

So, these are 5 big technology advancements of today that will shape the future. Just a few decades back, we had the first mobile phone. Nowadays, that mobile phone has turned into a computer that allows us to do almost any task that you can do on a desktop computer or laptop. Let’s see what the technology will bring for us down the road.

Throughout my life I have tried not to go so far into technology. It is obvious that technology is not my thing and it has never been. But what happens when the children begin to appear and with them the world opens wide to thousands of ideas and new practices?

Once I was in a consultation for the pediatrician, I was sitting next to me, a lady about 45 years old, we were both waiting for the same doctor. Suddenly, and with a cell phone in his hand he looks at me and starts a chat with me, that I’m not very sociable.

-What this thing from Facebook tells me… with a face of not understanding too much. And the talk continues, that more than conversation was a monologue. Have not you read about the atrocities that are done through this network? He asks me, and I with a smile and shaking my head I say no. Many people with fake personalities, changed names and others are talking and engaging in conversations and even reaching children and teenagers. How exposed our children are, and for this there is no sex, no matter the girl or child.

-Already telling me this, I began to pay more attention to him and said, therefore, to all the parents that I could, I urge you to learn to use technology and accompany your children who are their friends in the networks and who know their Friendships that today are not only flesh and blood but also virtual and very dangerous.

I believe that after this comment, there has been nothing in my life that I have looked for more and with more interest than to approach the technology, which incidentally, is a continuous research but that is so easy to reach.

I remember that before, we only had to attend a library to access the information or go to the home of people who have had the purchasing power to buy them on a particular subject.

Today with a cell phone and an internet connection, we have all the information at the fingertips. When I sit down and think about it, I find the reason for those famous words… There is no better teacher than need.

The thirst to know in what things and our young people and children make that the parents investigate and we are experts in diverse subjects. It is a challenge that we must face as we have done to be parents, but at this moment is when we realize that they are a world different from ours.

The concept of wireless technology was first introduced in the 19th century which has been significantly developed over the years. Today the term wireless is referred to variety of devices from smartphones, printers, tablets, wireless headphones, Bluetooth etc.

There are various types of wireless technologies that are used
In the today’s world the wireless technology have been part of the wireless communication system that permits users to communicate even from the remote operated areas. There are many devices for wireless communication like mobile. Cordless telephone, GPS, WI-FI, satellite, television and wireless computer parts like wireless mouse keyboard, best wireless headphones and wireless printers. Current wireless phone include 3 and 4G wireless networks and Bluetooth technologies.

Wireless can be divided into

Fixed wireless- the operation of the wireless in office, home and in particular, equipment connected to the internet via specialized modems.
Mobile wireless the use of wireless devices or system board motorized, moving vehicles examples include the automotive cellphone and personal communication system.
Portable wireless-the battery powered devices or systems outside the office, home or vehicle example include handheld cell phones and pcs unit.
IR wireless the use of devices that convert data via infrared radiation which is infused in certain limited range communication and control systems.

Some of the examples of wireless technologies which you may find in today’s world

Cellular phones and pager: these provide connectivity for the portable and mobile applications, both personal and business.

Home entertainment system control boxes: the VCR control boxes and the television channel control boxes and HI-FI sound system and FM radio broadcast receivers also use this technology.

Remote garage doors openers: the garage door openers also use the wireless technology to control doors by sensing the motion usually this done by the radio frequencies.

Wireless headsets-we have music jukebox available now in the form of Bluetooth headphones which allows 24 entertainments even on long journeys to make travelling fun. These are incredible because they are light weight easy to carry and without any wires. With Bluetooth technology setting and using headphones has never been easier.

Baby monitors: the baby monitors are also the wireless technology that are run by the radio frequencies these are installed to monitor babies in their rooms to hear them when they make sound.

Satellite television: allows viewers to select the hundreds of channels from any location in the world

Wireless LAN or local area networks – provides wireless networks making sure flexibility and reliability to computer users in number of places like home, business or offices.

Wireless technology is evolving with time and its use increasing with the advancement in technology being made throughout the world. People are relying on the technology more now to add ease to their lives. Some of the specialized and exclusive example of the wireless technology may include:

Global system for the mobile communication (GSM) it is the standard mobile system that is used in the Europe and other parts of the world.
General packet radio service (GPRS) – a packet based wireless communication system which provides continuous connection for the mobile phone and internet users.
Wireless application protocol (WAP)- It is the set of communication protocol set to standardize the way the wireless devices such as cellular communication system or radio transverse are used to allow user to access internet using it.
Enhanced data GSM environment (EDGE): a faster version of the Global system for mobiles (GSM) wireless service.

Wireless technology has various advantages and disadvantages

Wireless communication has many advantages few are:

Communication has enhanced to convey information to the consumer quickly.
Working professionals can work and access internet anywhere anytime with the help of wireless networks.
It increases productivity of the workers at workplace. In a survey it was reported that number of young workers listen to music using wireless headphones which makes them happier, better at concentrating and productive.
Urgent situation can be altered through wireless communication. The affected regions can be provided help and support with the help of these alerts through wireless communication.

Wireless networks are cheaper to install and maintain

There are furthermore advancement is being complete in the wireless technology with the passage of time focusing the needs of the people.

The transactions have also been improved and made easy with the help to the wireless technology.

Disadvantages
The advanced wireless technology has led us to access our personal devices anytime and anywhere. While there are numerous advantages of wireless technology there are also some threats which has arisen as well.

Wireless technology has led us to the security threats for instance the hackers can easily access the any device as the wireless signals are spread in the air therefore it is very important to secure the device using the security system in order to avoid such threats to the system.
The range of wireless networks are typically limited and typical wireless router will allow only users within 150 to 300 feet to access networks.
Disorder in signals can be caused anytime may be due to the severe weather condition or any other disruption.

The use of technology in learning institutions has increased. According to a recent study by CompTIA, up to 78% of teachers believe the use of technology in schools has positively influenced student’s productivity while 65% of educators believe the use of technology has made students more productive and learning exciting.

Technology is today used in almost all aspects of our day-to-day activities. People have become accustomed to the use of devices developed through technology. Despite a smaller percentage of individuals claiming the use of technology has done as much destruction as good, education is one of the areas where its use has completely transformed the way people study and educational institutions operate. Here are six ways how the use of technology has managed to help improve education standards.

1. Online Resources

You can always research on the internet for any educational information you need. You are always bound to find some help on the web from the broad range of resources available. The use of online resources such as studying tips, free courses, and secure custom support will help improve your grades.

2. Multimedia learning

People learn in different ways. While some individuals learn better visually, others do so using audio. This has made most education institutions and teachers to change their tact. Instead of focusing on lectures and giving notes, most educators and schools have resorted to using of multimedia to help teach their students better. It comprises use of auditory, visual and kinesthetic. With technology, there is always a way you can effectively learn.

3. Use of E-books

Nothing bores a learner like having to lug around a pile of books for a curriculum. You can carry your entire course materials wherever you go in a tablet. You can always open the eBooks and do light studying wherever or whenever you wish like reading. The e-books are also known to cost less compared to the usual paperbacks making them affordable to most students.

4. Worldwide tutoring

The Internet is not just known for having the unlimited amount of information online; it also contains an infinite number of minds! With technology, you are now able to receive help from anywhere irrespective of your location. This is beneficial especially to people who are interested in learning other languages.

5. Online Editing

There are times when you might need a second opinion but might not have a friend around to have a look at it. Reading through your work and making corrections before submission is one thing you can never afford to ignore. You are most likely set to miss on something when you decide to edit all by yourself. Sharing your work with an online editor is one efficient method you can always use to help improve the quality of your paper.

6. Study Groups

Despite preferring to explore alone, there are times when you might be assigned a group project. However, scheduling a meeting with your group students can be impossible. With technology, there are online platforms making group discussions easier. You can easily share notes and other materials and collaborate through video chats. You can also decide to connect with other students doing a similar course even if you are not in the same group.

Technology is always changing and so you have to keep up with it. In this article I suggest six effective ways you can improve your technology skills. Read on to find out.

Here they are:

1) Improve your typing speed

Time yourself initially and see how many words you can type per minute. By and by try to type more per minute. Practice a little every day and you will get better and better at it.

2) Teach yourself how to pick up good stuff from the internet

When you come across something that interests you over the web, use your rational logic and ask yourself, “Is this going to help or hurt me?” Make a choice and carry it out. In this way extract always the good stuff and filter out the bad from the web.

3) Don’t always rely on the tech guy

Things like formatting your computer can easily be done by you instead of always calling in the tech guy. Learn and relearn and you will find yourself to be an expert at it.

4) Learn new programming skills

What programming skills do you currently possess? What is new out there? Research and find out. Go through the modern languages which you do not know yet and improve your programming skills. The more you keep them in practice, the better you get at them. Try to code every day for one hour or so and maintain it. It will add to your expertise.

5) Get more acquainted with Microsoft Office and Adobe products

For instance, getting familiar with new features of Word, Excel, Adobe Photoshop and Acrobat Reader/PDF Writer will allow you to soar high. The more you know about them, the more skilled you get, which might be beneficial for your digital tasks at home or office.

6) Strike a conversation with a professional expert on technology

Make friendship and converse with a professional expert on Technology at your office or somewhere else and keep yourself updated about the technological stuff he knows, does and teaches his team of people. You may not be able to grasp everything all at once. So meet up frequently, go slow and absorb as much as you can per conversation.

These are some of the six enticing ways you really can upgrade your technology skills and skyrocket to your best advantage. Always remember: Knowledge is power. So make it a point to learn some new digital stuff every single day.

These days, technology is scaling newer heights of success at an unbelievably fast pace. One of the latest triumphs in this direction is the evolution of the Blockchain technology. The new technology has greatly influenced the finance sector. In fact, it was initially developed for Bitcoin – the digital currency. But now, it finds its application in a number of other things as well.

Coming across this far was probably easy. But, one is yet to know what is Blockchain?

A distributed database

Imagine an electronic spreadsheet, which is copied umpteen number of times across a computer network. Now, imagine the computer network is designed so smartly that it regularly updates the spreadsheet on its own. This is a broad overview of the Blockchain. Blockchain holds information as a shared database. Moreover, this database gets reconciled continuously.

This approach has its own benefits. It does not allow the database to be stored at any single location. The records in it possess genuine public attribute and can be verified very easily. As there’s no centralised version of the records, unauthorised users have no means to manipulate with and corrupt the data. The Blockchain distributed database is simultaneously hosted by millions of computers, making the data easily accessible to almost anyone across the virtual web.

To make the concept or the technology clearer, it is a good idea to discuss the Google Docs analogy.

Google Docs analogy for Blockchain

After the advent of the eMail, the conventional way of sharing documents is to send a Microsoft Word doc as attachment to a recipient or recipients. The recipients will take their sweet time to go through it, before they send back the revised copy. In this approach, one needs to wait till receiving the return copy to see the changes made to the document. This happens because the sender is locked out from making corrections till the recipient is done with the editing and sends the document back. Contemporary databases do not allow two owners access the same record at the same time. This is how banks maintain balances of their clients or account-holders.

In contrast to the set practice, Google docs allow both the parties to access the same document at the same time. Moreover, it also allows to view a single version of the document to both of them simultaneously. Just like a shared ledger, the Google Docs also acts as a shared document. The distributed part only becomes relevant when the sharing involves multiple users. The Blockchain technology is, in a way, an extension of this concept. However, it is important to point out here that the Blockchain is not meant to share documents. Rather, it is just an analogy, which will help to have clear-cut idea about this cutting-edge technology.

Salient Blockchain features

Blockchain stores blocks of information across the network, that are identical. By virtue of this feature:

The data or information cannot be controlled by any single, particular entity.
There can’t be no single failure point either.
The data is hold in a public network, which ensures absolute transparency in the overall procedure.
The data stored in it cannot be corrupted.

Demand for Blockchain developers

As stated earlier, Blockchain technology has a very high application in the world of finance and banking. According to the World Bank, more than US$ 430 billion money transfers were sent through it only in 2015. Thus, Blockchain developers have significant demand in the market.

The Blockchain eliminates the payoff of the middlemen in such monetary transactions. It was the invention of the GUI (Graphical User Interface), which facilitated the common man to access computers in form of desktops. Similarly, the wallet application is the most common GUI for the Blockchain technology. Users make use of the wallet to buy things they want using Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency.

Fiber optic cable versus wire transmission differences boil down to the quickness of photons versus the speed of electrons. While fiber optic cables do not travel around at the velocity of light, they are very close- just about 31 percent slower. Here are more benefits.

Security

Would it be that hackers can access business cable with relative ease, because of cable tapping or various other simple methodologies? The only method to penetrate fiber-optic is to cut the fibers physically, that may cause the transmission to disappear. Fiber-optic cable is one of the powerful methods to improve your company’s safety against cyber criminal offenses.

Fiber Optic Transmission Has Low Attenuation

When traveling in a long range, fibers optic cables encounter less signal damage than copper cables. That is known as low attenuation. Copper connections can merely transmit information up to 9,328 ft due to power decline, whereas fiber cables can travel and between 984.2 ft to 24.8 miles.

HD Video Support

For a lot of companies, training video and teleconferencing are essential tools for employee training, advertising, and product sales. With a fiber-optic system, many companies can easily boost their investment in video conferencing as one of the best long lasting business tool without sacrificing bandwidth. Research indicates that more investment in video conferencing saves companies thousands every year and even month, especially if you can cut out too much business travel.

Resistance to Disturbance

Copper cable is usually delicate to electromagnetic interference, which may be due to the closeness of weighty equipment. PMMA Fiber cables do not degrade because of electromagnetic interference. If your company shares a telecoms space with other businesses, fiber-optic can easily protect your connection from disappearing if the other organizations are employing equipment that can hinder your interconnection in the same space.

Fiber Cables Are Resistant To Electromagnetic Intrusion

Copper wires, if not installed properly, will create electromagnetic currents that may hinder other cables and wreak the system on the network. Fiber cables, unlike real other cables, usually do have electromagnetic currents.

Symmetric Speed

Symmetric speed is a term utilized to refer to same upload and down load rates on a connection. With fiber cable connection, your employees can reap the benefits of same upload and download speed.

Is symmetric speed necessary? It’s definitely not critical for business procedures, but it’s helpful. Improvements in symmetrical speed are advancements that reflect how networks are used. Today’s employees can upload online video content, files, or make calls as when they work unlike what people used to do decades ago. Symmetric speed allows users to accommodate heavy demands on uploads and downloads simultaneously via their data connection.

Fire Safe

An additional advantage of PMMA fiber optic cables is they are not really a fire risk. This can also be related to the same reason the cables do not make EM.

Fiber Cables usually do not break easily

This implies that you shall not have to worry about replacing them as frequently as copper cables. Though the fiber is made from glass, copper wires are more susceptible to damage than fiber cables are.